Editor’s note: The 2006 Tournament games are being played with Strat-o-Matic cards and dice. The designated hitter will be used for any games involving American League teams. Injuries will only be used during the game when they occur.
Bob Wickman closed it out for Atlanta as the Braves won the championship game of the 2006 Tournament with a 6-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox in 11 innings.
Chicago’s Matt Thornton was in his third inning of work as the teams headed into the 11th.
Marcus Giles got things started for the Braves with a single before Edgar Renteria doubled to set the stage for the rally.
Bobby Jenks took over on the mound for the White Sox and walked Chipper Jones, which loaded the bases.
After Jenks fanned Andruw Jones for the first out of the frame, Adam LaRoche coaxed a walk from the Chicago right hander and the Braves led 4-3.
A visibly frustrated Jenks, then made a mistake and Jeff Francoeur smacked a double that scored two more runs and the White Sox were in trouble. Jenks retired the next two hitters, but the damage was done.
Wickman was called in from the Braves bullpen and worked a scoreless bottom of the 11th to earn the save that gave the Braves the title.
Francoeur provided the first run of the contest as he had a solo homer off Chicago starter Freddy Garcia in the fifth inning. Garcia tossed eight innings allowing seven hits with four strikeouts.
Atlanta starter Tim Hudson blacked the White Sox until he surrendered a solo shot to A.J. Pierzynski in the sixth.
The White Sox took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the seventh as Jermaine Dye added the home run derby with a solo blast.
The Braves went on top in the ninth with a pair of runs off Garcia, who didn’t retire a hitter before Thornton entered the game.
Giles led off with a homer to tie it and Chipper Jones followed with a RBI single to give the Braves a 3-2 advantage.
Hudson left the contest with one out in the ninth as the White Sox came up with a run as Scott Podsednik had a RBI double to send the contest to extra innings.
Oscar Villarreal got the final two outs of the ninth and then pitched a perfect 10th to earn the victory for the Braves.
2006 Tournament Championship
Atlanta Braves 6, Chicago White Sox 3 (11)
2006 AL Tournament
Championship
Chicago White Sox 7, Toronto Blue Jays 6
Semifinals
Chicago White Sox 10, New York Yankees 8
Toronto Blue Jays 7, Los Angeles Angels 2
Second Round Results
New York Yankees 11, Texas Rangers 1
Chicago White Sox 10, Detroit Tigers 5
Los Angeles Angels 7, Minnesota Twins 3
Toronto Blue Jays 5, Oakland Athletics 2
First Round Results
New York Yankees, bye
Texas Rangers 10, Boston Red Sox 4
Chicago White Sox 9, Baltimore Orioles 3
Detroit Tigers 4, Kansas City Royals 3
Minnesota Twins 11, Tampa Bay Devil Rays 4
Los Angeles Angels 4, Cleveland Indians 1
Toronto Blue Jays 7, Seattle Mariners 6
Oakland Athletics, bye
2006 NL Tournament
Championship
Atlanta Braves 3, San Diego Padres 1
Semifinals
Atlanta Braves 6, St. Louis Cardinals 1
San Diego Padres 4, Houston Astros 3 (10)
Second Round Results
Atlanta Braves 6, Chicago Cubs 0
St. Louis Cardinals 8, Milwaukee Brewers 1
Houston Astros 6, Washington Nationals 4
San Diego Padres 7, San Francisco Giants 6
First Round Results
Chicago Cubs 6, New York Mets 3
Atlanta Braves 8, Florida Marlins 5
St. Louis Cardinals 3, Colorado Rockies 1
Milwaukee Brewers 4, Philadelphia Phillies 3
Washington Nationals 13, Los Angeles Dodgers 10
Houston Astros 6, Arizona Diamondbacks 1
San Francisco Giants 9, Cincinnati Reds 5
San Diego Padres 2, Pittsburgh Pirates 1 (11)